The Expert

The Expert centers on Dr John Hardy, a Home Office pathologist whose detailed forensic work becomes central to criminal inquiries across Britain. Rather than following detectives alone, the series puts scientific investigation front and centre, with Hardy examining bodies, interpreting lab results and advising police on how evidence fits together. Each episode is effectively a case of the week that tests Hardy's methodical approach and professional judgment, while quieter scenes show his interactions with colleagues such as Price and Susan Bartlett, played by Jeremy Sinden and Virginia Stride. The tone stays steady and procedural, aiming for realism in how medical evidence guides legal decisions and reflecting the social context around each death.

Broadcast by the BBC from 1968 to 1976, The Expert was created and produced by Gerard Glaister, with N.J. Crisp contributing scripts. It was among the BBC's first dramas filmed in colour and ran four series starring Marius Goring as Dr John Hardy.

The series did not win major national awards during its original run; it earned recognition mainly for its production values and the quality of guest performances rather than a long list of trophies. Industry observers and later historians have noted its technical standards and the professional approach to portraying pathology.

The Expert showcased a roll call of well known British actors in guest roles, helping to raise the profile of screen forensic work for TV audiences. As one of the earlier colour dramas it holds a place in British television history, and the parade of notable guest names gave the show extra prestige while influencing later forensic led police series on UK television.

Contemporary reception praised the show's emphasis on careful, evidence based procedure and Marius Goring's steady performance as Dr Hardy. The scripts return again and again to ethical issues around death, the gap between clinical fact and human grief, and the professional pressures of working with corpses, themes that modern viewers and television historians often cite when considering its archival and historical value.